Welcome to the Pacific and Eastern Migration of Birds Information System, an international cooperative programme dedicated to monitoring and documenting the migratory patterns of bird species across North America's two great flyways.

PEMBIS coordinates the collection, analysis, and dissemination of bird migration data gathered by a network of field stations, banding laboratories, volunteer observers, and research institutions stretching from the Arctic tundra to Central America.

PEMBIS was established in 1971 through an agreement between the Canadian Wildlife Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente of Mexico. The programme emerged from growing scientific recognition that effective conservation of migratory birds required coordinated, international monitoring efforts.

Headquartered in Delta, British Columbia, PEMBIS operates under the governance of a tri-national Steering Committee with representation from government wildlife agencies, academic institutions, and non-governmental conservation organisations.

The programme maintains a network of 127 monitoring stations positioned along the Pacific and Atlantic flyways, from breeding grounds in Alaska and northern Canada to wintering habitats in Mexico and the Caribbean. Each year, more than 2,400 trained volunteers and researchers contribute observation data to the PEMBIS database.

The PEMBIS database is the programme's central repository, containing over 14.6 million records documenting bird observations, banding data, and migration timing information collected since 1971. The database represents one of the most comprehensive long-term datasets on North American bird migration in existence.

Data holdings include:

• Systematic migration counts from monitoring stations
• Bird banding and recovery records
• Breeding bird survey data
• Rare and unusual species reports
• Historical migration records (some dating to 1908)
• Weather and environmental condition logs

Database access is available to researchers, wildlife managers, and conservation planners through the PEMBIS Data Centre. Registered users may submit queries by mail, fax, or electronic mail. Selected summary data are also available through our new World Wide Web query interface, launched in August 1998.

The PEMBIS monitoring network comprises 127 stations strategically positioned along major migration corridors. Stations range from staffed field research facilities to volunteer-operated observation points.

Pacific Flyway Coverage:
The Pacific network extends from Point Barrow, Alaska, through British Columbia's coastal islands, down the Pacific coast to Baja California, and inland through the Central Valley of California to wintering areas in western Mexico. Key concentration points include the Fraser River delta, San Francisco Bay, and the Salton Sea.

Eastern Flyway Coverage:
Eastern stations monitor the Atlantic coastal route from Labrador and the Maritime provinces through the mid-Atlantic states to Florida, as well as the Mississippi flyway corridor. Major monitoring sites include Cape May, New Jersey; Point Pelee, Ontario; and the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana.

Volunteer observers are essential to the PEMBIS programme. Each year, more than 2,400 trained volunteers contribute hundreds of thousands of observation records from locations across North America.

Volunteers participate through several programmes:

• Migration Watch: Seasonal observation counts at designated sites during peak migration periods (spring and fall)
• Nest Monitoring: Documentation of breeding activity for selected species
• Banding Assistants: Support for licensed banders at field stations (training required)
• Data Entry: Transcription of historical records and field data sheets

New volunteers receive training materials and a field manual. Regional workshops are held each spring to prepare observers for the migration season.

To request a volunteer information packet, please contact the PEMBIS Volunteer Coordinator at the address below.

The PEMBIS Quarterly
Our newsletter, published four times per year, includes migration highlights, station reports, research summaries, and volunteer news. Distributed free to all registered volunteers and programme partners.

Annual Migration Summary
A comprehensive report on the preceding year's migration season, including population indices, timing data, and notable records. Published each June.

PEMBIS Technical Report Series
Occasional publications presenting detailed analyses of programme data. Recent titles include Twenty-Five Years of Raptor Migration Monitoring at the Strait of Juan de Fuca (1996) and Long-term Population Trends in North American Shorebirds (1997).

Species Accounts
Reference documents summarising migration ecology, timing, and routes for individual species. Currently available for 86 species; additional accounts in preparation.

The annual meeting brings together station coordinators, regional managers, and programme partners to review the past year's results and plan for the coming season. The 1999 meeting will include a special symposium marking the programme's upcoming 30th anniversary.